State MATHCOUNTS Competition FAQs
Please see the current MATHCOUNTS Rules for Advancement to the California State MATHCOUNTS Competition. Please contact California State Coordinator Ken Discenza PE, if you have questions regarding this information – sitedesign@sda-pe.com.
An “Independent” may have been registered at the chapter level as an Individual or as a Team Member, but they have progressed to the State Competition based on their own merit and will compete at the State Competition without a team. This California-specific term has been created to easily identify this type of competitor.
No. Independents will only participate in the Sprint and Target Rounds, and the Countdown Round if they qualify. The Team Round will not be given to Independents separately or as a group, even unofficially.
At the state contests, ranking will be done on a statewide basis. That is, while the contest is being held at two locations and awards are given for placement at both, the ranking to select the top four individuals for the California State Team will be as if there is just one contest.
Substitutions of team members for the State Competition may only take place when a student voluntarily releases his or her position on the team. The request must be submitted in writing to State Coordinator Ken Discenza, PE, at sitedesign@sda-pe.com, no later than March 1. Coaches may not make substitutions for students progressing to the State Competition as Independents. The position may be released by the student, but it will remain vacant. Some last-minute exceptions may be made for emergency situations such as illness; however, it is the responsibility of the students and coaches to ensure any substitutions are submitted to the State Office prior to the March 1 deadline.
Substitutions that are not recorded with the State Coordinator by 10 a.m. the day prior to the event will not be recognized and the student will not be allowed to compete under any circumstances. All substitutions (even emergencies) must be cleared and authorized through the State Office or the student(s) will not be allowed to compete, no matter what the Chapter Coordinator may have told the coach or parent. Please refer to the guidelines listed in the enclosed Rules for Advancement to the State Competition for further information.
No. Alternates are not permitted to participate in the State MATHCOUNTS Competition. The only students allowed to take the exam at the State Competition are those students who qualified at the Chapter Competition, and whose names were supplied to the State Office prior to the event.
Please direct them to California’s MATHCOUNTS State Coordinator Ken Discenza, PE, at sitedesign@sda-pe.com.